Course unit details: Wild and Tamed: Nature in French Culture and Politics
Course unit fact file
Unit code
FREN60842
Credit rating
15
Unit level
FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s)
Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit?
Yes
Overview
In this course we will study the ways in which we interact with nature, disagree on environmental issues, and imagine the future of the. We will see how the idea of nature has shaped the French national identity, how diverging views on nature have impacted politics in France, and how the future of nature is inseparable from the future of humankind. We will study French vs. English conceptions of nature, nature and the French colonial empire, as well as green politics, green activism, ecofeminism and collapsology. We will analyse the revival of natural spaces in major urban centres in the French-speaking world like Paris and Montréal. Finally, we will discuss nature as represented in science climate fiction and nature documentaries.
To provide an overview of the idea of nature from the 17th century to the present
Analyse a variety of sources related to nature and the environment
This unit is divided into two main blocks: weeks 2-5 focus on practical and political issues pertaining to the environment and the climate; the second block (weeks 6-10) focus on representations of nature in fiction. The first week’s lecture and seminar introduce the unit and the topics covered. The last week is dedicated to revisions.
Each week, students will have a two-hour lecture presenting the history and larger questions raised by a specific topic (see above). The lectures will be followed by a one-hour seminar during which students will discuss the points addressed in the lectures.
Resources and teaching material will be available on
Use appropriate terminology to study representations of nature in a variety of discourses
Express ideas logically and elegantly in oral and written French
Refine critical skills
Assessment methods
Method
Weight
Written assignment (inc essay)
100%
Recommended reading
A range of primary and secondary sources will be available in French and in English. Here are a few examples:
